Keeper for fire-alarm-box keys.



Patented Dec. 30, I902.

No. 7:7,nss.

c. E. mason. KEEPER FOR FIRE ALARM BOX KEYS.

(Application filed June 9, 1902.)

(No Model.)

Ill/177111. 11

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A TTOANEY.

Urvrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CECIL E. GIBSON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

KEEPER FOR FlRE-ALARM-BOX KEYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 717,188, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed June 9, 1902. Serial No. 110,709. (No model.) i

To a. whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, CECIL E. GIBSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Keepers for Fire-Alarm-Box Keys; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to the firealarm boxes to any of which access may be had for sending an alarm by opening the hinged door thereof, the door being unlocked by means of an insertible portable lock-key; and the invention has reference more particularly to a keeper for the key or a key-guard in which the key may be kept at the alarm-box, so as to be always conveniently at hand when required and from which the key may be obtained by simply breaking a plate of glass or other suitable frangible material, the object of the invention being to provide an inexpensive sealed keeper of this character that may be adapted to be applied to various styles of alarm-boxes, particularly to those that may be now in use, akeeper or boxfrom which the key cannot be removed without leaving evidences of its having been opened or unsealed.

The invention consists ina box-1ike keeper adapted to be attached to an alarm-box and comprising a separable part having internal locking devices, a glass plate and supports therefor adapted to facilitate the breaking of the glass, and a hook for supporting the key in the keeper; and the invention consists also in the parts and the combination and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate like parts, Figure 1 represents a fire-alarm box of familiar form to which my invention is applied and showing the key-keeper as having been unsealed and the key removed therefrom and inserted in the lock of the alarm-box door ready for use; Fig. 2, a front elevation view of the key keeper complete with the key hanging therein and protected from meddlesome persons; Fig. 3, a transverse sectional view of the keeper-case on the line 1 1 in Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 are transverse sectional views on the line 2 2in Fig. 2 looking in opposite directions.

In practically carrying out myinventionl provide a sealed keeper or one that cannot be opened for the purpose of obtaining the key except by breaking the part that isintended to be broken for legitimate purposes, so that if the seal be broken by mischievous persons the act would attract attention and evidence of the fact would remain. The keeper includes a box-like case and preferably, also, a key-hook therein, and also a chain may be included for preventing temporary loss of the key when used hurriedly at night or other times.

In the drawings, A designates the alarmbox, and. B the hinged door thereof, provided with a look, as usual, and O the insertible key for operating the door-lock. The keykeeper is secured to the side of the box A by means of rivets or screw-bolts a, holes for which may be readily drilled in the box side. The chain E when employed is attached to the key 0 and extends, when the key is inserted in the keyhole b, therefrom to the interior of the keeper D, where it is secured either to the key-hook F or otherwise.

The box-like case comprises a base D and a detachable frame D, the base having holes (I, either without or within the frame, adapted to receive the securing rivets or bolts a. The base may be provided with an eye e, to which the chain E may be secured. The keyhook F is securely attached to the base and is adapted to receive the eye in the stem of the box-key O. The base is provided with two flanges or flange-like members G G, at opposite sides thereof, projecting into the frame D, and the flanges are more elevated or deeper at the portions between their ends and adapted to support the glass-plate front H and to also serve as anvils against which to break the glass. At the lower edge of the base are shoulders or ledges f, above which are apertures f, and the upper or opposite portion of the base is provided With a springcatch 2', suitably shouldered, so as to operate automatically when engaged by the lug g, which is attached to the inner side of the adjacent wall of the frame D, the opposite or lower wall of'which is provided with lugs h,

extending through the apertu resf and under the ledges for under the base, so as to lock the frame to the base at these points. The frame D has an inwardly-extending. flange j at the top thereof bearing upon the glass front H and pressing the same against the flanges G G, whereby the glass is securely held in position.

Referring to the spring-catch t and its cooperating lug g, it will be obvious that these members may be transposed and suitably modified for the purpose, the spring-catch attached to the frame and the lug to the base, all within the frame.

It will be seen that the sealing or locking devices are all internal and inaccessible from without the keeper except by breaking the glass front, which, in effect, breaks the seal. If desired, the frame D may be hinged to the base D, the devices shown being practically separable hinges.

In practical use let it be assumed that the glass H has been broken by striking it sharply with a stone or any hard substance above or below the points of contact with the flanges G G and the parts of glass removed, the key 0 having been removed and placed in the keyhole b. It may also be assumed that an alarm has been sounded in the usual manner and that now the fireman desires to replace the key in the keeper and seal the same. The spring-catch may be pressed from the lug g, and the frame will then be released and may swing off from the base, as on hinges, and also it may be entirely removed from the base by withdrawing the lugs h. The key may be hung upon the hook F or be simply placed within the frame, a new glass front H inserted, and then the frame may be forced toward the base until the latch locks the frame to the base, the glass being pressed between the flange 7' and the flanges G" G, and the keeper will thus be sealed with the key therein.

Should the box-inspector desire to open the alarm-box at any time, it will be seen that he may readily do so by means of a duplicate key without disturbing the key in the sealed keeper, to which access cannot be had by means of a key of any kind. The advantages, therefore, of my invention will be seen, since the keeper cannot be surreptitiously opened by means of a false key or lock-picking inplement.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim as new is 1. A fire-alarm box having a lock-key provided with a sealed key-keeper comprising a base having an anvil device attached thereto and projecting from the front thereof, aframe detachably fitted to the base and extending about the anvil device, internal locking means securing the frame to the base, and a frangible plate normally held by the frame and the anvil device.

2. A fire-alarm box having a key-lock provided with a sealed key-keeper comprising a base having an anvil device attached to the front thereof, and a frame detachably fitted to the base and extending about the anvil device, in combination with a frangible plate normally held between the detachable frame and the anvil device, and internal locking means normally holding the frame against the frangible plate'and the frangible plate in contact with the anvil device.

3. A fire-alarm box having a lock-key provided with a sealed key-keeper comprising a base having anvils attached thereto and secured to the box, a frame fitted to the base and extending about the anvils, internal keyless locking means removably securing the frame to the base in proximity to the anvils, and the frangible plate secured between the anvils and the frame.

4. In a fire-alarm box having a door provided with a lock and a removable key, the combination of a sealed key-keeper comprising a base provided with anvil-flanges and a hook projecting therefrom and also having bolt-holes therein,the bolts extending through said holes and secured to the box, aflanged frame hinged to the base and extending about the anvil-flanges, a spring-latch situated in the frame at the side thereof opposite to the hinge thereof and removably securing said side of the frame to the base, the frangible plate secured between the anvil-flanges and the flanges of said frame, and the box-key connected to said hook substantially as set forth.

5. In a fire-alarm-box-key keeper, the combination of a base having apertures at one side thereof, a flanged frame having hingelugs extending through the apertures and connecting the frame to one side of the base, a spring-latch attached to the opposite side of the base from the apertures,.a latch-lug attached to the inner side of the frame opposite to the hinge-lugs, the frangible plate in the frame, flanges or projections attached to the base and extending to the frangible plate centrally between two opposite edges thereof, and the hook secured to the base, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination with the firm-alarm box having the door-lock and the removable lockkey, of the sealed key-keeper comprising the base secured to the box, the hook secured to the base, the projecting anvil members socured to the base, the frame extending about the anvil members and removably attached to the base, the frangible plate secured by the frame against the anvil members, the internal locking means for the frame, and the key on said hook, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

. CECIL E. GIBSON.

Witnesses:

WM. H. PAYNE, E. T. SILvIUs. 

